How To Protect Wood Door from Sun Damage?

Direct sun rays can damage wooden doors in homes. Over time, the finish will crack and fade, the wood might expand or contract, and the light will dull the door’s look. It could diminish the appeal of your home and be frustrating. So, how to protect wood door from sun damage? 

You should follow these tips to protect it no matter which door you have.

Avoiding Sun Damage on Your Wooden Door

The west-facing exterior doors are most prone to sun damage, so you should consider them first. It may be your front door, patio door, or side door.

How To Protect Wood Door from Sun Damage – Step by Step 

Ensure the door is shaded to prevent exposure to the sun for long periods. You can do this by planting trees, landscaping, or installing an awning or canopy over your front door. Besides blocking the sun and preventing sun damage, this also helps to cool your home. 

Let’s have a look at the steps for how to protect the wood door from sun damage.

1. Remove previous finishes

You should take the exterior wood portions down to remove any previous finishes. To help reinforce it, you can add exterior varnishes, a bit of polyurethane, or a clear finish having UV protection. When exposed to direct sunlight, interior grade finishing fades quickly.

2. Adding awning or canopy

With this, you can block the sun entirely and protect your door from sun damage. You can also secure your outdoor furniture from UV damage if it suffers from the same problem. 

In addition to reducing your energy cost, shade can provide you with the best comfort, especially if you live in a hot climate. It’s the most convenient, effective, and cost-effective solution for your sun problems.

3. Using an alternate door material

Materials such as vinyl, fiberglass, or metal can be used in modern doors. A properly installed door of this type is more efficient and environmentally friendly than traditional wooden doors and can add the same aesthetic appeal.

Best Exterior Door for Direct Sunlight

You need to consider several factors before installing a front door in your home. You should decide which material has to be used for your exterior door, especially if you live in a warm climate. 

This is true for the home’s façades facing south, where they receive constant direct sunlight daily. Hence, what suits best to your front door can sometimes be challenging. 

Let’s dive a bit deeper.

Wood doors

No matter how beautiful wood may appear, it can’t last long. Therefore, you can’t consider it the best choice for your home’s front. If it is exposed to direct sunlight, it can warp or fade. There are chances to crack and delaminate sooner or later.

Steel doors

The security of steel doors is unmatched. However, one major downside of steel doors is that they thoroughly absorb the sun’s heat, becoming very hot to touch. 

Fiberglass

If you live in a hot climate, this is something good for you. Even after being exposed to the sun for many years, fiberglass remains remarkably durable. It is also possible to paint fiberglass doors to look the same as real wood. 

This lets you enjoy the warm look of wood with the assurance that these doors will last longer and may require almost zero maintenance than the wood ones.

How To Protect Wood Door from Sun Damage from Direct Sunlight?

There are several solutions to use for blocking direct sunlight. They can perfectly protect your front door from sunlight.

1. Awnings
2. Canopies
3. Privacy films (one-way films)
4. Stained/Frosted glass films
5. Glass paints
6. Etching creams
7. Curtain(s).
8. Blind(s) and solar shade
9. Honeycombs
10. Cellular shades
11. Shutters and classic blinds (Roman)
12. Vertical Blinds

How Do You Restore a Sun-Faded Wood Door?

You can follow the below-mentioned tips for restringing sun-faded wooden doors.

1. Remove all hardware from the door
2. Sand the door
3. Fill in cracks or gaps
4. Apply new varnish

What Type of Door Is Best for Direct Sunlight?

When it comes to sunlight, you should focus mostly on the material on the door because it will receive the most heat.

There is a great option for homeowners who need something cool in a hot climate: These are fiberglass doors, Aluminum doors, and uPVC doors.

• Fiberglass is a highly durable material, which can last long for years directly in the sun. Moreover, it requires significantly less maintenance than wood doors.
• Aluminum (like other metals) is an excellent conductor of heat. It will become scorching hot if exposed to direct sunlight for hours. However, it can also maintain its shape when the temperature rises. 
• uPVC, Sunlight will damage some colors more than others. In particular, lighter colors will repel the sun, while darker colors will heat up. As a result, you might assume that a white uPVC door would be best. In contrast, cheaper uPVC doors tend to discolor more quickly, so a white door left out in direct sunlight for several years may turn yellow.

Do Composite Doors Fade in Sunlight?

Composite doors do not usually fade over time; thus, they are very stylish, durable, and worth our property investment. They create a nice first impression of our home and perform well despite being exposed to heavy rainfall, pollution, sunlight, and frequent use over some time. Composite doors have a large life span as they are safe from heat and rain. They usually last 30 years before they require a replacement. 

People living in hot climates can still maintain the outlook of their homes by having a glass door that holds its attractive look even with the scorching heat.

Conclusion

We’ve covered several ways to protect wood doors from sun damage, even if they’re south-facing. So, now you know how to protect wood door from sun damage. 

There is, however, one more drastic solution: replace the entire door. If you are still using the same door that was there thirty years ago, there are probably several good reasons for an upgrade, not the least of which is that you will improve your security.

In addition, if your door is still exposed to direct sunlight for large portions of the day, even a modern replacement will continue to suffer the same problems as your existing door. 

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